POLICE are acting after a spate of incidents in which vehicle fuel lines were cut.

POLICE are acting after a spate of incidents in which vehicle fuel lines were cut.

Among the most serious incidents this week was a Vauxhall Nova set on fire in Western Avenue, Blacon, after the fuel line was cut in the early hours of Sunday.

Station officer Danny Bowen of Chester Fire Station said: 'Last weekend we had three. We are getting a lot of fuel lines being cut where they are stealing the petrol and then this one last night.

'This was at the bottom of the flats and it was not that close. We have got an ongoing strategy with the police to address arson.'

Upton has also been targeted.

Firefighters sealed a leak on the fuel line of a Vauxhall in Caughall Road at 1.20am on Sunday after thieves were disturbed as they tried to steal the petrol by draining it off into a container.

They bent back the flexible pipe and tied it up before sweeping excess petrol into some soil.

Last Thursday afternoon a Vauxhall Astra was targeted at Safeway car park in Liverpool Road. The fuel line was cut and petrol leaked out onto the ground.

The vehicle was not set alight but Chester Fire Service attended the scene to clear up the fuel and make the area safe.

The following day a fuel line was cut on another Vauxhall Astra at the Safeway car park.

Sergeant Tim Roberts of Chester police said there had been problems in Upton.

He said: 'I have spoken to Sergeant Steve Trundle from the community action team for that area and they are aware of these problems.'

He said police were targeting the problem but for operational reasons he could not go into detail.

Perhaps the most serious recent incidents occurred in the early hours of Sunday, October 21, when arsonists caused havoc on the streets of Hoole by cutting the fuel lines to two Vauxhall Novas and an Astra and then igniting leaking fuel.